Without the Rat
by Greenaleydis
Summary: Yuki gets a glimpse of what his life would have been like without the curse, and he doesn't like it. After living the life of his noncursed self for a few days, he gains a new appreciation for the curse, his family, and Tohru.
1. The Average Day, Or Not

Without the Rat

_By AmuberuMukku_

**Chapter One: The Average Day, Or Not**

I woke up feeling terrible, as usual. Every day is a fiasco when it comes to the Sohma household. But there is one person that I wake up every day for. Only one.

"Sohma-kun? We have to go to school in fifteen minutes!" Tohru knocked at my door.

"I will be down in a minute!"

"Mmmkay!"

I pulled off my robe. She is the only reason why I even stand this life of mine. She is the only person who sees me not as a rat, but as a human being. I always felt that I had no connection with anyone outside my little Yuki-shell. She brought a change. But Tohru loves the Cat from the zodiac legend. I wonder if she loves the Sohma cat… Kyou doesn't know how good he has it. Bastard gets on my nerves, always trying to beat me at something. Anything.

As I walked down the staircase, I noticed that Shigure was giving me a weird look, like I had done something that had shocked him. I shrugged it off and said, "Ready, Miss Honda?"

"More than ever!" She smiled at me.

I can never resist that smile. It's so carefree, like not even the worst of things can affect it. It's always there, whenever you look. Rarely does it disappear. She is so cute and bubbly about everything it almost scares me. But that is just how Tohru is.

The stupid curse confines me to just the family, which is the last thing I want. I have lived my life secluded from everyone else because I am afraid of what people might say. Apparently, Tohru doesn't care that I am truly a rat. But of course, she is so willing to share her feelings and… she is just so lighthearted all the time. A person like her wouldn't be disgusted by me or any of the family, no matter which animal it is. Even Kyou in his true form – she has already accepted him for what he is.

We were almost at school when we meet up with Uo and Hana, Tohru's friends. They talked and laughed while I consulted with people from the student government.

In school, it takes every ounce of my energy to stay away from the girls. Tohru told me once that most of them were in the "Prince-Yuki Fan Club" or something like that. I just hope she was talking about "snow" yuki and not "Sohma" Yuki. Of course, that would explain a lot, since they do seem to follow Tohru and I around everywhere, but I try not to think about them.

Class passed uneventfully until GYM. We had to take partners.

"Um, Sohma-kun, you might want to…"

"Hi, Yuki! I just happened to notice that you have no partner, and I don't either! So how about we hook up?"

"… watch out."

"Actually, I have a partner already… um… Tohru."

---

Tohru blinked twice. The first for Yuki saying that she was his partner, and the second time for saying her first name. He usually called her Honda-san or something like that. But he just said Tohru. _It sounds so natural that way_, she thought.

"Oh… fine." The girl smiled sweetly at Yuki, gave Tohru a death-threat like glare, then went on her way to ask someone else.

Tohru looked up at him and said, "You really want to be my partner?"

Yuki blushed slightly and smiled. "Yes, Tohru. At least you won't try to molest me." He smiled wider. That smile made Tohru have butterflies in her stomach.

---

A couldn't believe it. Yuki said he would be my partner! And he said my first name. Things were happening too fast…

Apparently the partner thing was for relay racing. I saw what he meant.

I am not afraid of those girls. They have threatened me more than once, and all just because Yuki and I were walking together a little too close or he smiled at me one second too long. They are jealous, and for what reasons? I am only Yuki-kun's friend. They say that that might change, but I am not worried about it.

I found that Yuki is a true friend, no matter what people say. The girls say that he pities me and that's why he hangs around me. Other people think that I am just the lucky girl that gets to hang around him and not get pushed away.

I think none of those things. I feel that he sees me as a friend that just happens to live with him. Since I know a lot about him now – what he likes do and such – I think that we have grown closer. But I would never think that we could be more than friends.

After GYM, I thanked Yuki for letting me be his partner, and he gave me one of those smiles. Those irresistible smiles of his… it's no wonder why he is so popular.

---

The rest of the day went by in a blur. No one would have guessed what Yuki Sohma was thinking about. Except for Tohru, maybe, on a slim to none chance.

"Yuki, are you okay? You seem quiet," Tohru said as they walked home together. She looked at his face. The hair, the eyes, the whole thing… It all said that he was deep in thought about something. Was it the curse?

"Tohru, do you know how to break the curse?"

Tohru's breath hitched in her throat. So that's where his mind was. She had thought he was thinking about something else.

"Why do you… I mean… what is your… motive… why?"

Yuki managed to translate that into normal speak and said, "Mainly because I want to be normal. But I have other reasons too."

Tohru practically choked at that. "_Am I one of those reasons?" _she thought and said. She hadn't meant to say it aloud. She clapped her hand over her mouth and looked fearfully at Yuki.

Yuki looked down at Tohru and smiled at her slip. _So she has some feelings for me. For that I am glad._ Yuki nodded, trying to think of a way to change the subject. It was a very delicate topic and he felt that rushing things with Tohru would only bring problems. He would have an opportunity to tell her everything he felt for her, but now wasn't that time.

They walked into the house and greeted Shigure, who was dressed in his traditional clothes as usual. Since she had no homework, Tohru immediately went into the kitchen. She still had some time before work and she wanted to make a big dinner. Yuki just sighed and went to his room.

He sat on his bed. He needed a way to break the curse. Otherwise, the only other people that they could be with were the cursed family members. And there were only two women! Well, it is not like they could share them. And Kisa was still so young. Kagura would not be willing to share herself – she was too deeply in love with Kyou to do that.

Overall, the two Sohma girls could not become Sohma whores. That wouldn't be right or fair. The only other option was to break the curse.

---

I laid back and thought about everything that I couldn't do with the curse. _I can't hug Tohru, or any girls for that matter. I can't have many friends. I can't date anyone. I shouldn't even be going to a school that has girls in it! I can't run away, I can't have a normal life, I can barely do anything!_

I banged my fist against the headboard of my bed, making a small dent in the shiny surface. "I hate the curse! I wish I had never had it!"

"Dinner, everyone!" Tohru danced out of the kitchen, carrying three huge plates of food. How I love that smile of hers. I sighed and got off my bed. It is the only reason why I even get up in the morning – that cute, kind, bubbly smile of hers could get you out of the worst of bad moods.

---

Well, that's my intro. I don't own Fruits Basket or the characters. Only the characters that I make. Trust me, there won't be many :)

Review and tell me what you think.

-Amu-


	2. A Strange World

**Chapter Two: A Strange World**

Yuki woke up to hear a rather loud knock at the door. An unfamiliar yet familiar voice said, "Yuki! Get your lazy ass up now!"

Yuki shot up in bed. Eyes now wide, he looked around. Something wasn't right. This wasn't the place he'd remembered going to sleep in. His room had taken a different shape. The walls were full of posters with famous people on them. The paint was a dark color. Everything was a mess. He didn't know where he was.

Suddenly he knew where he was. What he didn't know is how he got there. He quickly found the bathroom and his uniform and got ready, still wondering about why he was at his old house.

When he opened his cabinet under the sink, he came face to face with something that he wouldn't even imagine owning – a box of condoms. He quickly slammed the door shut, horrified. "What the shit are they doing in there?" They made him mad. Normally he wouldn't curse or lose it like that, but he knew something was wrong. His memory didn't help either.

After he brushed his teeth and hair he went down the stairs. He definitely would get some answers. Being calm about situations like this was what he was normally good at. But for some reason he couldn't cope with a sudden change in environment. He would soon find out that more than his environment changed.

---

I couldn't figure out what was going on. I woke up in a different bed in a different room in a different house. Nothing made sense.

I went down the stairs to find someone in the house and I was met by two familiar people that I hadn't seen in a while – my parents.

Upon seeing them, I forgot about the curse and raced up to hug my mom. When I felt her body against mine, I knew something was up. I should have been a rat by then.

I let go of my mother and stared at her wide eyed. "I didn't transform," was all I could say out of my surprise.

She sighed and gestured with her hand. "Why do you have to get high before school? I know I can't keep you from doing everything but if you are going to go drugs, make the timing convenient."

I flinched and my jaw dropped. Drugs? Drugs! I had no idea what they were talking about. "Mom, I have never even thought about doing drugs, let alone done drugs in my life. I have no idea what you are talking about."

At this my mother rolled her eyes and looked at her husband. "He's loosing it, hun."

"No really. I am not losing it. I don't do drugs." I sat defiantly at the table. No person could sit there and tell me what I have done in my life when I don't even see them.

"What is this then?" she asked, holding up a small pouch. "This thing is crawling with heroin. Mind explaining it?"

That was certainly unexpected. I had no way to answer. I knew it couldn't be mine. I had never touched the stuff in my life, but here I was, being accused of doing drugs when I know damn well that I have never done anything of the sort.

"It's not mine; I speak to you truthfully."

'Yeah, okay. Sure. Why are you acting so weird then? Nothing else could explain it."

"I just don't know why I am here, with you, in this house. What am I doing here? Where are Tohru, Shigure, and Kyou? I don't…"

"Listen, you. You're going to be late. Grab an apple and I will take your lazy ass to school. But you are going to walk home. Be in by ten." My dad turned and went into the hallway, coming back with his keys.

I blanched. No one was listening to me. It made my stomach lurch. I gave up and shook my head. "Where is my school bag?"

"You idiot. You never bring that bag home. You don't even do your homework!" my mother practically yelled at me. She threw up her hands and went into another room.

---

Yuki was still disoriented with all this new information about his life. Nothing was they way it used to be. He was even starting to doubt that he went to the same school.

When they pulled into the parking lot of the school, Yuki was relieved at the sight of the familiar bushes and posts. _Thank goodness,_ he thought. _I don't know what is going on, but at least I go to the same school. Who knows what else has changed…_

---

Well, that was chapter two. The purpose was to lead you into the new life that Yuki has. Trust me, everything will be explained within the next few chapters if you are confused. He is confused too. Review and tell me what you think!

-Amu-


	3. Who Am I?

**Chapter Three: Who Am I?**

Yuki said good-bye to his mother and walked into school, only to be met by smiling guys. The rushed to him and started babbling.

"You will NEVER guess what happened yesterday, Yuki. You know Kioria? As it turns out we were wrong. All those things we said about her weren't true. But it doesn't matter, does it? No one cares anyway…"

"Dude… we are driving to Kyoto after school. You are so coming."

"That game you let me borrow was awesome. Tell me you have more games like that!"

"…"

Yuki assumed that these were his friends. He had non-cursed friends! He recognized these guys as Miro, Hume, and Keichoru.

He had friends. The thought was unimaginable – he thought he would never have friends because he would have to tell them about the curse! These guys were a bit shady from what he heard at school, but to him it didn't matter.

"Yuki, baby!"

Yuki shook off his friends' comments and turned to see a girl he knew, Midori, running up to him. He knew this girl because there was talk around the school about her being a bit slow. He of course really didn't care what people said about girls, because he knew that girls were targets and mostly everything that was said wasn't true. But he knew that there was an exception to every rule, and she was the exception.

She had a very womanly body, and had a tight-fitting uniform to show it off better. Her skirt was pulled up a bit too high and she wore very dark eye make up, which made her hazel eyes contrast starkly against her face. Her hair was very straight and fell in small brown and red sections that varied in length from her chin to mid torso. It was black at the roots, meaning that it had been dyed. She was very beautiful, and she possessed an air of mystery and enchantment.

Yuki smiled and said politely, "Ohayo gozaimasu, Midori."

He turned to walk in the other direction, but he stopped when he felt her arms around his chest. _Damn…_was his last thought before he braced himself for the transformation.

"Yuki, are you fine? You are actin' weird." Midori peered around his chest and gazed up into his face, eyes twinkling. Yuki's expression was confused. Somehow he managed to contort his face so that his eyebrows were scrunched together with one eyebrow raised. He carefully opened the eye underneath the raised eyebrow, squinting the other eye more, and looked at her. He realized then that he was still human. Images rushed back to him from that morning, when he hugged his mother. He had forgotten that he hadn't transformed then. _Maybe it's when I hug guys now,_ he thought, then walked over to a male teacher and hugged him. Nothing happened.

"Why do I not transform? What is going on!"

"Um, Sohma, do you need to go to the clinic?"

"Um… no sir, I am just a bit…"

"Drunk is all, Yuki hun. I will see you at lunch, when you are more sober," Midori said. She smiled and walked down the hallway, making sure to swing her hips a bit.

"You drink, Sohma?"

"Not at all, sir. I have never touched an alcoholic drink in my life."

"What was that all about, then?"

"Oh, she doesn't normally see me like this, I guess. I am just a bit confused about my current situation. Actually, I think that's an understatement. Nothing is the way it used to be. But my problems shouldn't concern you."

"Well, okay. Get to class."

---

Yuki had problems the entire day.

"Are you cheating, Sohma? You are unusually smart today."

The class laughed. Yuki blushed and said, "No, I'm not cheating; I wouldn't do anything like that."

"Yeah, right. Who knows the answer to number five? Okay, put your hand down, Sohma, if you don't know the answer. Anyone else?"

Yuki was the only one with his hand raised. He was baffled at the teacher's behavior toward him. She was acting like he was a problem student!

"I know the correct answer." Yuki raised his hand higher and cocked his head to the side, waiting for the teacher to call him.

The teacher rolled her eyes. "Okay, Sohma, what do you have?"

---

I couldn't believe how this teacher was treating me. Like I was some sort of troublemaker!

It took a while to find the right class, since I apparently didn't have the same classes anymore. I had to walk around and find people who were in my classes. I was lucky that I had the same first period.

After that fiasco, I went to the office and got a copy of my schedule. The schedule was not like my old one. I wasn't taking debate classes anymore – I was taking… shop? What the hell! I found out that I was only in one of Tohru's classes also.

I couldn't figure out what was going on. Tohru acted like I had never talked to her before – she didn't even say hi to me in the hallways. And when you combine that with everything else – the drug and alcohol references, the girls, the grades, the reputation with the teachers – you would have thought I was a terrible person. But I knew that I wasn't a terrible person.

After school, everything was so confusing – my brain was piled with new information. It scared me. As it turned out, I was somehow going out with the school's most notorious whore AND cheating on her; I was friends with a bunch of skater boy drug addicts, which didn't bother me at first; and I still had heard nothing about Kyo, Haru, or Momijii. I hadn't even seen any of them.

Girls cornered me the entire day. It took every ounce of my energy to avoid situations like that. Lunch was also a problem. Everyone wanted me to sit with him or her. I ended up sitting with some people from the student government. Boy, I remember how that conversation went.

Escaping the clutches of a group of people, Yuki walked over to the student government table, carrying his tray.

"_Hi, everyone. When is our next meeting?" Yuki sat down._

"_Sohma, you aren't in the student government."_

"_Yes I am. I help you set up fundraisers and…"_

"_No, you aren't. You have never even talked to us before now."_

"_Well…can I at least sit at the table?"_

"_On the edge there."_

Yuki ended up walking home alone. He had refused his "friends" for a good reason. He needed to be alone to think. Then he remembered that he was supposed to live at his parent's house. Upon remembering this, Yuki threw up his hands and went in the direction of the park.

He sat on a bench and took out his homework. The wind shifted and rustled the trees, making a satisfying whispery sound. Leaves swirled around the bench he was sitting at. Yuki continued to write, absently working through math problems, still thinking about the day.

Meanwhile, something watched him from a distance. "Don't worry, Yuki Sohma. I will enlighten you."

---

Well, that was chapter three. Tell me if you like the point of view changes. If not I will just stick with my usual. I found that I am better at writing point of view stories, even though I tend to switch point of view in the middle of a chapter :)

Review and tell me what you think so far.

-Amu-


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